On the morning of the Fourth of July, North Korea successfully tested a previously-unseen missile, referred to in their reports as the Hwasong-14. The missile splashed down in the Sea of Japan. According to analysis of its extremely high flight path by David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, the missile could theoretically travel […]
Keeping Watch: Flawed Senate Bill to Expand National Missile Defense
As the pieces come together for a 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), it is important to watch for efforts to incorporate harmful policy changes. The process of assembling and passing an NDAA is exhausting, and there will be great incentive to finish even a version that contains deeply flawed minor provisions. One such potential […]
Iran Deal Passes One-Year Checkup
On March 8, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its quarterly report on Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal. The report, finalized in February and released to the public last week, provides a clean bill of health for the Iran deal, and […]
Will North Korea be the Trump Administration’s Greatest Challenge?
North Korea fired a salvo of four ballistic missiles Monday morning around 7:30 am local time (5:30 pm Sunday EST). The missiles flew an average of 620 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. A U.S. official noted that there was a fifth missile that failed to launch. While there is no evidence that […]
The Rising Cost of Nuclear Forces
In February 2017, the Congressional Budget Office released a biennial report on the projected costs of U.S. nuclear forces for the next 10 years. This year’s report estimates that nuclear forces will cost $400 billion dollars from 2017 to 2026, a 15% increase over CBO’s previous estimate (for 2015 to 2024). The CBO report provides […]
